National Registered Sex Offender Laws

Ohio Sex Offenders

The state of Ohio gave more priority to sex offenders registration after the implementation of Megan’s Law in 1996. The law ensures that persons convicted of a sexual offense must register and remain in the state.

Ohio Sex Offender Law classifies sex offenders into 3 tiers:

This classification depends on the nature of crime and conviction served by the court. An offender’s duration of registration depends on his/her tier:

The frequency of verifying the registration also depends on the class of the offenders:

Residents of Ohio get notified whenever an offender moves 1200 feet near their neighborhood. The residents get this notification by mail. The notification contains identifying information on the offender. The residents get safety tips on how to protect themselves from these offenders.

The law allows law enforcement agencies in the state to carry out unannounced checks on sex offenders registered in Ohio. This is to make sure the registered information is correct and not misleading.

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Ohio Sex Offender Registry

Ohio sex offender registry updates the information on registered sex offenders living in the state. This information is available to the public through the registry’s website. Visit your local law enforcement agency for more information on sex offenders in Ohio.

Identify Nearby Sex Offenders in Ohio

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Ohio Sex Offender Facts

Facts

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Top Offenses
  • 2907.02 - Rape - >Sexual Motivation
  • 2907.05 - Gross Sexual Imposition - >Sexual Motivation
  • 2907.03 - Sexual Battery - >Sexual Motivation
  • 2907.04 - Unlawful sexual conduct w/a minor - >Sexual Motivation
  • 2907.05(A)4 - Gross Sexual Imposition victim Under 13 - >Sexual Motivation
Counties in Ohio with the highest number of offenders:
  • Cuyahoga County
  • Franklin County
  • Hamilton County
  • Summit County
  • Montgomery County
Zip Codes in Ohio with the highest number of offenders:

See All ZIP Codes >

Nearby States:
Ohio Sex Crimes Requiring Offender Registration

Any of the following violations or offenses committed by a person eighteen years of age or older:

  • Rape - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.02.
  • Sexual battery - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.03.
  • Gross sexual imposition - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.05.
  • Importuning - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.07.
  • Kidnapping (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.01(A)(4).
  • Unlawful sexual conduct with a minor (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.06.
  • Voyeurism (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.08.
  • Sexual imposition (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.06.
  • Compelling prostitution (when the person who is compelled, induced, procured, encouraged, solicited, requested, or facilitated to engage in, paid or agreed to be paid for, or allowed to engage in the sexual activity in question is under 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.21.
  • Pandering obscenity involving a minor - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.321(A)(1) or (3).
  • Pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.322.
  • Illegal use of minor in nudity-oriented material or performance - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. §2907.323(A)(1) or (2).
  • Endangering children - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2919.22(B)(5). (when the child who was involved was under 18 years of age)

The following offenses when the victim is under the age of 18 and the crime is committed with a sexual motivation:

  • Kidnapping - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.01(A)(1), (2), (3), or (5).
  • Abduction - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.02.
  • Unlawful restraint - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.03.
  • Menacing by stalking - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.211.
  • Criminal child enticement - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.05.

Regardless of the age of the victim, one of the following offenses committed with a sexual motivation:

  • Aggravated murder - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.01.
  • Murder - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.02.
  • Felonious assault - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.11.
  • Kidnapping - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.01. • Involuntary manslaughter - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.04(A).

A violent sex offense, or a designated homicide, assault, or kidnapping offense if the offender also was convicted of or pleaded guilty to a sexual motivation specification that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the designated homicide, assault, or kidnapping offense:

  • Violent sex offense - Rape, sexual battery or gross sexual imposition with a person less than 13 years of age. Also includes a felony violation of another state or the United States that is substantially equivalent to one of these crimes or the attempt or complicity to commit these crimes if it is a felony.
  • Designated homicide, assault or kidnapping offense - Aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, kidnapping or involuntary manslaughter (unlawful termination of another's pregnancy as a proximate result of the offender's committing or attempting to commit a felony). Also, the attempt or complicity to commit these crimes if it is a felony.

When the victim of the offense is 18 years of age or older:

  • Sexual imposition - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.06.
  • Voyeurism - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.08.
  • Menacing by stalking (when the offense is committed with a sexual motivation) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.211.
  • A violation of any former law of this state, any existing or former municipal ordinance or law of another state or the United States, any existing or former law applicable in a military court or in an Indian tribal court, or any existing or former law of any nation other than the United States, that is or was substantially equivalent to any offense listed above.
  • An attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or complicity in committing any offense listed above.

An act committed by a person under eighteen years of age that is any of the following:

Subject to division (D)(2)(i) (child's case transferred for criminal prosecution), regardless of the age of the victim of the violation, a violation of:

  • Rape - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.02.
  • Sexual battery - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.03.
  • Gross sexual imposition - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.05.
  • Importuning - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.07.

Subject to division (D)(2)(i) (child's case transferred for criminal prosecution) of this section, any of the following acts involving a minor in the circumstances specified:

  • Kidnapping (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.01(A)(4).
  • Voyeurism (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.08.
  • Sexual imposition (when the victim is less than 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.06.
  • Compelling prostitution (when the person who is compelled, induced, procured, encouraged, solicited,
  • requested, or facilitated to engage in, paid or agreed to be paid for, or allowed to engage in the sexual activity in question is under 18 years of age) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.21.
  • Unlawful abortion (when the child involved is under the age of 18) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2919.12(B)(5).
  • Kidnapping (when committed with a sexual motivation) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.01(A)(1), (2) (3), or (5).
  • Menacing by stalking (when committed with a sexual motivation) - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.211.

Subject to division (D)(2)(i) of this section, any of the following:

  • Any violent sex offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony of the first, second, third, or fourth degree.
  • Any designated homicide, assault, or kidnapping offense if that offense, if committed by an adult, would be a felony of the first, second, third, or fourth degree and if the court determined that, if the child were an adult, the child would be guilty of a sexual motivation specification regarding that offense. A violation or attempt to violate any of the following that is committed with a sexual motivation:
  • Aggravated murder - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.01.
  • Murder - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.02.
  • Felonious assault - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.11.
  • Abduction - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.02.
  • Kidnapping - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2905.01.
  • Involuntary manslaughter - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2903.04(A).

Subject to division (D)(2)(i) (transfer of the child for criminal prosecution), a violation or attempt to violate any of the following if the person who violates or attempts to violate the division is four or more years older than the minor who is the victim of the violation:

  • Pandering obscenity involving a minor - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.321(A)(1) or (3).
  • Pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.322(A)(1) or (2).
  • Illegal use of minor in nudity-oriented material or performance - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.323(A)(1) or (2).

Subject to division (D)(2)(i) (transfer of the child for criminal prosecution), a violation of any of the following when the victim of the violation is eighteen years of age or older, and the offense is committed with a sexual motivation:

  • Voyeurism - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.08.
  • Sexual imposition - OHIO REV. CODE ANN. § 2907.06.
  • Subject to division (D)(2)(i) of this section, any violation of any former law of Ohio, any existing or former municipal ordinance or law of another state or the United States, or any existing or former law applicable in a military court or in an Indian tribal court that is or was substantially equivalent to an offense listed above and that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony in the first, second, third, or fourth degree.
  • Subject to division (D)(2)(i) of this section, any attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or complicity in committing any offense listed in division (D)(2)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), or (g) of this section.
  • If the child's case has been transferred for criminal prosecution under section 2152.12 of the Revised Code, the act is an offense listed for adults or would be an offense listed in any of those divisions if committed by an adult.
Information maintained in Ohio Sex Offender Registry

R.C. § 2950.04

(C) The registration form to be used under divisions (A) and (B) of this section shall include or contain all of the following for the offender or delinquent child who is registering:

(1)The offender's or delinquent child's name and any aliases used by the offender or delinquent child;

(2)The offender's or delinquent child's social security number and date of birth, including any alternate social security numbers or dates of birth that the offender or delinquent child has used or uses;

(3)Regarding an offender or delinquent child who is registering under a duty imposed under division (A)(1) of this section, a statement that the offender is serving a prison term, term of imprisonment, or any other type of confinement or a statement that the delinquent child is in the custody of the department of youth services or is confined in a secure facility that is not operated by the department;

(4)Regarding an offender or delinquent child who is registering under a duty imposed under division (A)(2), (3), or (4) of this section as a result of the offender or delinquent child residing in this state or temporarily being domiciled in this state for more than three days, the current residence address of the offender or delinquent child who is registering, the name and address of the offender's or delinquent child's employer if the offender or delinquent child is employed at the time of registration or if the offender or delinquent child knows at the time of registration that the offender or delinquent child will be commencing employment with that employer subsequent to registration, any other employment information, such as the general area where the offender or delinquent child is employed, if the offender or delinquent child is employed in many locations, and the name and address of the offender's or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant's school or institution of higher education if the offender or public registry qualified juvenile offender registrant attends one at the time of registration or if the offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant knows at the time of registration that the offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant will be commencing attendance at that school or institution subsequent to registration;

(5)Regarding an offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant who is registering under a duty imposed under division (A)(2), (3), or (4) of this section as a result of the offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant attending a school or institution of higher education in this state on a full-time or part-time basis or being employed in this state or in a particular county in this state, whichever is applicable, for more than three days or for an aggregate of fourteen or more days in any calendar year, the name and current address of the school, institution of higher education, or place of employment of the offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant who is registering, including any other employment information, such as the general area where the offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant is employed, if the offender or public registry-qualified juvenile offender registrant is employed in many locations;

(6) The identification license plate number of each vehicle the offender or delinquent child owns, of each vehicle registered in the offender's or delinquent child's name, of each vehicle the offender or delinquent child operates as a part of employment, and of each other vehicle that is regularly available to be operated by the offender or delinquent child; a description of where each vehicle is habitually parked, stored, docked, or otherwise kept; and, if required by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation, a photograph of each of those vehicles;

(7)If the offender or delinquent child has a driver's or commercial driver's license or permit issued by this state or any other state or a state identification card issued under section 4507.50 or 4507.51 of the Revised Code or a comparable identification card issued by another state, the driver's license number, commercial driver's license number, or state identification card number;

(8) If the offender or delinquent child was convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or was adjudicated a delinquent child for committing the sexually oriented offense resulting in the registration duty in a court in another state, in a federal court, military court, or Indian tribal court, or in a court in any nation other than the United States, a DNA specimen, as defined in section 109.573 of the Revised Code, from the offender or delinquent child, a citation for, and the name of, the sexually oriented offense resulting in the registration duty, and a certified copy of a document that describes the text of that sexually oriented offense;

(9) A description of each professional and occupational license, permit, or registration, including those licenses, permits, and registrations issued under Title XLVII of the Revised Code, held by the offender or delinquent child;

(10) Any email addresses, internet identifiers, or telephone numbers registered to or used by the offender or delinquent child;

(11) Any other information required by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation.

Community Notification and Websites

R.C. § 2950.11

The sheriff shall provide the notice to all of the following persons:

(1)

  1. Any occupant of each residential unit that is located within one thousand feet of the offender's or delinquent child's residential premises that is located within the county served by the sheriff, and that is not located in a multi-unit building.
  2. If the offender or delinquent child resides in a multi-unit building, any occupant of each residential unit that is located in that multi-unit building and that shares a common hallway with the offender or delinquent child.
  3. The building manager, or the person the building owner or condominium unit owners association authorizes to exercise management and control, of each multi-unit building that is located within one thousand feet of the offender's or delinquent child's residential premises, including a multi-unit building in which the offender or delinquent child resides, and that is located within the county served by the sheriff.
  • In addition to notifying the building manager or the person authorized to exercise management and control in the multi-unit building under this division, the sheriff shall post a copy of the notice prominently in each common entryway in the building, and any other location in the building the sheriff determines appropriate.
  • Instead of posting copies of the notice as described in this division, a sheriff may provide notice to all occupants of the multi-unit building by mail or personal contact; if the sheriff so notifies all the occupants, the sheriff is not required to post copies of the notice in the common entryways to the building.

(d) All additional persons who are within any category of neighbors of the offender or delinquent child.

(2) The executive director of the public children services agency that has jurisdiction within the specified geographical notification area and that is located within the county served by the sheriff;

(3) (a) The superintendent of each board of education of a school district that has schools within the specified geographical notification area and that is located within the county served by the sheriff;

(4) (a) The appointing or hiring officer of each chartered nonpublic school located within the specified geographical notification area and within the county served by the sheriff or of each other school located within the specified geographical notification area and the county served by the sheriff;

(5) The director, head teacher, elementary principal, or site administrator of each preschool program that is located within the specified geographical notification area and the county served by the sheriff;

(6) The administrator of each child day-care center or type A family day-care home that is located within the specified geographical notification area and the county served by the sheriff, and the provider of each certified type B family day-care home that is located within the specified geographical notification area and the county served by the sheriff.

(7) The president or other chief administrative officer of each institution of higher education that is located within the specified geographical notification area and the county served by the sheriff, and the chief law enforcement officer of the state university law enforcement agency or campus police department, if any, that serves that institution;

(8) The sheriff of each county that includes any portion of the specified geographical notification area;

(9) If the offender or delinquent child resides within the county served by the sheriff, the chief of police, marshal, or other chief law enforcement officer of the municipal corporation in which the offender or delinquent child resides or, if the offender or delinquent child resides in an unincorporated area, the constable or chief of the police department or police district police force of the township in which the offender or delinquent child resides.

R.C. § 2950.13

(11):

  • Through the bureau of criminal identification and investigation, establish and operate on the internet a sex offender and child-victim offender database that contains information for every offender who has committed either a sexually oriented offense that is not a registration-exempt sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense and who registers in any county in this state.
  • The bureau shall determine the information to be provided on the database for each offender and shall obtain that information from the information contained in the state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders which information, while in possession of the sheriff who provided it, is a public record open for inspection.
  • The database is a public record open for inspection, and it shall be searchable by offender name, by county, by zip code, and by the school district.
  • The database shall provide a link to the website of each sheriff who has established and operates on the internet a sex offender and child-victim offender database that contains information for offenders who register in that county, with the link being a direct link to the sex offender and child-victim offender database for the sheriff.

Limitations on Residency or Employment

R.C. § 2950.031

Registrants may not establish residence or occupy residential premises within 1000 feet of any school.

Duration of Registration

  • Sexual offenders/Child-Victim offenders: annually for 10 years
  • Sexual predators/Child-Victim predators: every 90 days for life
  • Habitual offenders: annually for 20 years
  • Tier 1 Sex Offender/Child-Victim offenders: annually for 15 years
  • Tier 2 Sex Offender/Child-Victim offenders: every 180 days for 25 years
  • Tier 3 Sex Offender/Child-Victim offenders: every 90 days for life.

Timeframe for Registration

Within 30 days of entering any county; 10 days of changing the address

Applies to Offenders Convicted in another State?

Yes

Verification of Address

Yes

Penalties for Non-Compliance

First offense first-degree misdemeanor; subsequent Offense fourth-degree Felony

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